A federal jury will be allowed to hear a bartender’s allegation that Chicago police officers practiced a “code of silence” to protect a fellow officer caught on video brutally attacking her at the Northwest Side bar where she worked.

The ruling on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve will allow lawyers for Karolina Obrycka to make that case to jurors in a civil lawsuit against ex-cop Anthony Abbate and the city.

The beating was captured on surveillance video at the bar. The video was later shown around the world.

In her ruling, St. Eve noted that veteran Grand Central District Officers Peter Masheimer and Jerry Knickrehm didn’t include in their final police report about the attack that Abbate was a police officer, the ruling states.

Shortly after the attack, Gary Ortiz, a friend of Abbate’s, went to the bar and told Obrycka that Abbate offered to pay for her medical bills if she didn’t file a complaint or lawsuit against him, St. Eve also noted in her ruling. The city admits that the action constitutes an attempted “bribe” by Ortiz.

St. Eve also noted that after the attack, Abbate, then a tactical unit officer in the North Side’s Lincoln police district, made numerous phone calls to other police officers, including his partner.

The ruling also cited the opinion of Lou Reiter, an expert on law enforcement procedures, who stated that during the time of the attack that a “code of silence” was present in the Chicago Police Department, and its disciplinary procedures allowed officers “to engage in misconduct with little fear of sanctions.”

Abbate was convicted in 2009 of felony aggravated battery for the attack and sentenced to two years of probation. He has since been fired from the department.